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9/24/2020

Mission: Dinosaur! Week 3 Vote

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We are counting on YOU to direct our mission!

We've been focused on a promising location so far during this mission, but we have not found Deinonychus fossils yet.  Should we keep looking here or try a new location?  Think it over carefully, then cast your vote!
click to download the pdf
Working remotely?  Copy, adapt, then share the google form below to help facilitate student conversations around this question!  Need more help?  See this blog post!
click to get this week's Google form to copy, adapt, and share
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9/23/2020

Cookie Cutters

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What to do with your dinosaur cookie cutters!

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Normally, I'm not a fan of "cookie cutter" education.  But using cookie cutters in new and novel ways is a whole different situation!  Of course you can print and use our dinosaur cookie cutters to create delicious dinosaur cookies (perhaps to celebrate your publication at the end of the mission), but here are some other ways to use these very simple to print files!
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  • Add them to your play dough station.
  • Use them as stencils.
  • Dip them in paint to create dinosaur print outlines!
  • Use your dinosaur outlines to play a matching game.  Display the outlines (see ablove) and place one of the cookie cutters in a bag.  Challenge students to identify which dinosaur they are feeling (without looking) by pointing to the corresponding outline! 
  • The cookie cutters (except Microraptor) can all stand on edge on their feet as if walking.  Use them in dramatic play or as figurines in dioramas.
  • Stand them on edge in playdough and press down to create track marks.  Pretend those are ichnofossils and have them match the tracks to the correct dinosaurs.
  • Stop printing them when only about a millimeter high. Place a sheet of paper over the super thin cookie cutter and then use the side of a peeled crayon to create a rubbing!
  • Challenge students to create their own cookie cutters using the simple 2D to 3D trick below!

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9/23/2020

Mission: Dinosaur! Comic Week 3

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Skill building with comics!

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This week Data Dog encounters two amazing critters and brings one back to Curiosity Cat!  Do you think he found a dinosaur this time?

​Last week we talked about using the comic, and its episodic structure, to improve memory.  The week before that we suggested some reading and decoding strategies. 

This week we'll focus on sequencing skills across the grade level span.  
The materials are simple!  Download our sequencing cards or take our comic pdf and adapt any of the formats (single page, little book, or full size book) by blocking off the page numbers.  You can do this before printing by using the shape tool in your pdf reading software to create a white box over each page number or after printing, but covering the number with white out or painter's tape.   

Click to download comic sequencing cards.
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Now, before sharing the full comic in print or video form, present three or four cards to sequence.  (I suggest starting with the middle row.)  Have your readers and pre-readers describe the action in each scene to justify the order they selected.  Talking about why they placed each picture as they did is a great way to build language skills!  Add in more cards to increase the challenge.  Finally, reveal the full comic and check those predictions.  Yay!!!
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9/17/2020

Mission: Dinosaur! Week 2 Vote

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Curious about critters?

While we are here to investigate our hypothesis, there are all sorts of interesting things to investigate.  We wish we could look for everything, but we need our research team to make some hard decisions.  Which of these three critters should we spend a little extra time trying to find next week while we look for fossils?  Discuss and vote!
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Click to download the pdf
click to get this week's Google form to copy, adapt, and share

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9/16/2020

Mission: Dinosaur! Comic Week 2

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Building Memory Capacity

This week's tip works for all ages and reading levels!  Our comic can be useful for building both long term and working memory.  To follow the story over time, students rely on long term memory to recall what happened in last week's installment.  Working memory helps students follow the story as they read it.  They need to remember the last word they read or the last action that happened while thinking about the next word or action.  Try these strategies to build both types of memory!

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What happened last week?  

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Before reading this week's comic with students ask them to close their eyes and think about the comic they read last week.  What can they remember?  Who were the characters?  What were they doing?  What problem did they have?  Now show them the final panel from the week one comic.  Chances are, seeing the cliffhanger, will jog their memories and they'll be able to recall.  If students are struggling, show all nine panels and ask them to describe the general story line, then predict what is likely to happen this week!

What's Missing? 

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Before reading this week's comic display all nine panels and give students a few minutes to look at them quietly.  If your students are readers, do not give them enough time to read the whole comic.  Then have students close their eyes as you hide one panel from view.  (Tip: If showing this comic digitally, use the shape function in your pdf viewer to put a box over one of the panels, blocking it from view.)  Ask students to recall and describe the hidden panel.  Repeat for a few more panels before reading the comic.

Looking for more literacy tips?  Check out last week's blog post!

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9/5/2020

Wonderful Words!

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Shrinking the vocabulary gap across the socioeconomic spectrum.

It is well documented that children in lower economic status homes typically have a much smaller vocabulary than children from more affluent homes. (Check out links to some of those articles below.)  This smaller vocabulary puts them at a significant disadvantage.  We want to close the "word gap!" We introduce and practice a wide range of words in our videos, livestreams, and lessons.  We support vocabulary acquisition though multiple pathways and strategies based in best practice so that ALL students have a chance to learn and apply new words. 
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When a child is deprived of food, there is public outrage because child hunger is correctly identified as a moral and economic issue that moves people to action. The vocabulary gap should be viewed with the same urgency as child malnutrition. 
​-Psychology Today
We provide vocabulary lists with both adult and child-friendly definitions.  We also supply word wall cards for every mission and whenever appropriate provide graphic supports to help students find the words they are seeking.  Where ever your students fall along the reading and vocabulary continuum, we provide an entry point!

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Download word cards and vocabulary lists!

This approach works!   I love this story from a teacher.  As one of her kindergarten students was walking with his parent to the family car after school, this child stopped in his tracks and picked up a shard of plastic.  He held it up and examined it carefully as he verbalized his thinking.  "This looks like a broken tail light, but I notice that the color and pattern is different than the tail light on our car.   The phenotype doesn't match!"  The astonished parent related this tale to the teacher who revealed that phenotype was a Go2Science vocabulary word for the current mission.  She went on to provide the definition for the parent.
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Vocabulary lists and word wall cards are available for every mission!  Log into your Go2Science account and navigate to the premission page on the mission of your choice.  Below the tip box, on the right side of the page, you'll find links for that mission's vocabulary list and word wall cards.

​By presenting all students with some unfamiliar words, everyone has the opportunity to learn and make new connections.  Other terms may be familiar but used in unfamiliar ways.  ​
Learning is not just about recall, but application in new and novel settings. This student certainly did that!   PLUS, he is learning how to learn and increasing the size of his vocabulary.  As it turns out, sometimes size DOES matter.  
phenotype
Kid-friendly definition: It is the way an animal or plant looks -  its shape, colors, patterns and textures.  It can also include the way it acts.  
Adult definition:  It is the composite of an organism's observable physical appearance and behavior.  A phenotype results from genetic and environmental factors. ​

For more info check out these links:
SES differences in language processing skill and vocabulary are evident at 18 months  (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3582035/)

Early Learning and School Readiness: Can Early Intervention Make a Difference? 
(https://muse.jhu.edu/article/173860/summary)

Tackling the "Vocabulary Gap" Between Rich and Poor Children
(https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-athletes-way/201402/tackling-the-vocabulary-gap-between-rich-and-poor-children)

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9/4/2020

Mission: Dinosaur! Week 1 Vote

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We're counting on YOU to direct our mission!

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Student votes shape the way our mission unfolds.  Many classes use the weekly vote question as a writing or discussion prompt.  Some project the pdf and have students indicate their choice on the chart with tally marks.  Others share a google form to collect student opinions.  Each subscriber gets one vote.  Be sure to vote by 3:30 EST on Thursday, September 17th! 
Click to download this week's vote pdf

Distance Learning Help!

If you choose to use our google form with your students, be sure to MAKE A COPY and not send the link shared via our button or your responses will be viewable by all and you won't be able to easily see your student answers.
​If you need directions about how to make a copy of the google form, check out the bottom of our previous blog post (click here) for step by step directions! 
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click to get this week's Google form to copy, adapt, and share

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9/3/2020

Getting Started

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How do I begin?!?

I've spent my summer talking with teachers from coast to coast and the one thing pretty much EVERYONE has is common is that this first day of school will be like no other.  I get a lot of questions about how to get started with Go2Science and what the schedule "should" look like.  The good news is we designed Go2Science to be adaptable so you can vary its content and pacing to fit YOUR needs!  In fact, with so much going on this fall, an asynchronous first mission might be a great way to take off a bit of pressure.
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We'll livestream about this field video on September 15, but you can watch any time!
In order to "complete" a Go2Science mission you need only view and discuss the hypothesis and field mission videos with your students.  All the evidence students will need to decide if the hypothesis is true or not is within the videos.  The date listed under each video on the premission page is the date we'll be livestreaming with classrooms about the content in the video.  We hold eleven, 20-minute livestream session on that date spaced throughout the day so you have lots of chances to join us.  However, many classes report having awesome engagement without ever livestreaming, so if those dates feel like a stressor for you, don't worry about them!  We archive a livestream session each day so you can view it later if you wish.  You can engage with the mission materials at a pace that works for you and your students.
Some schools are planning to use Go2Science content on their remote learning days and may stretch out the mission to last 12 weeks, showing one field video a week and doing that video's related lessons.  We love their ingenuity! ​​

What's in a mission?

Every mission consists of a hypothesis video (2-4 minutes) and 12 field videos (5-6 minutes each).  Each field video has an optional accompanying lesson.  Most lesson can be done relatively quickly (about 20 to 30 minutes) but many of them can easily occupy young learners for hours if given the time.  You know your students and children best so vary the pacing to fit your circumstance.  All you need do to participate in your first mission is watch the videos in order (taking time for discussion) and choose a few lessons to try.  Over time you can choose YOUR own teaching adventure by adding the vote feature, livestream sessions, comics, and 3D printing to your Go2Science experience.  Each element enriches the overall experience but there is no hierarchy.  
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Optional livestream sessions last 20-25 minutes and include motion breaks, vocabulary building, and your questions!

What's a "Live Mission?"

The mission you see when you first log in is always the "featured" or "live mission."  Right now, that's Mission: Dinosaur!  It is the only mission that will have active livestream and vote features.  We'll share live mission materials with you over a six week span but they will remain available all school year.  You may also choose to do older missions (available by clicking the down arrow next to the missions tab at the top of the page--see below).  There will always be six visible missions with the live mission in the upper left.  As we share new live missions, the mission in the lower left will cease to be available so plan accordingly.  Note: If multiple grade levels are using Go2Science, consider all using the live mission (even asynchronously) as it helps build a positive school culture, prevents students from experiencing repeated missions (spoiling the illusion of being live), AND gives teachers the opportunity to share planning and prep through vertical teaming.
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Start small!  Choose your own pacing.  Add in the elements you choose when you are ready.  AND have fun!

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9/3/2020

Mission: Dinosaur! Comic Week 1

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Instructional strategies and tips for using comics in class!

Our comics are a super fun way to hook readers!  While the adventures involving our dog and cat are, of course, science fiction they are VERY heavy on science fact.  Best of all, they model and support the spirit of inquiry!  If you are new to our comic, click here to read the back story.  There is even a pdf version you can share with families!  Each mission has an adventure that unfolds over six episodes so you can build anticipation while exercising memory skills.
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The other thing I absolutely love about our comics is that they are multi-level reading documents so you can meet the needs with a super wide range of learners with a single resource.  Each week, I'll provide some tips for using the comics to support literacy instruction.  I'll organize by grade level, but of course, we all know that age and grade do not always follow a child's developmental path so no matter the grade or the skill set your learners will have an entry point for learning while still feeling like part of the group.
PreK: Encourage your pre-readers to make up their own words as they read the pictures to tell a story.  If they have trouble getting started some simple questions can prime the pump.  For example, look at panel 1 and ask, "What is Curiosity Cat doing?"  "How do you think she feels?'  If students answer with single word replies, model complete sentences.  "Curiosity Cat is wearing her glasses.  She's reading a big book about dinosaurs.  She is very excited!"  For this age group, I recommend printing hard copies of the little book format to support book handling skills.
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Kindergarten: Our sounds effects are geared towards supporting kindergarten reading skills.  As students learn to connect sounds and symbols, empower them to use that beginning knowledge to read!  Try these activities:
  • Initial sound substitution: This week's sound effects include "lup" and "zup."  Challenge students to make other real or funny words that rhyme with /up/.  Do this as a quick activity to introduce the comic or turn it into a more elaborate lesson having students draw a picture and use their /up/ word as a sound effect!
  • Context cues:  Before reading the comic with or to your students, take a moment to look at the sound effects in panels four and five.  While "pant" and "spin" are a little tricky to sound out, the pictures give big clues!  First have students find the sound effect "pant" next to Data Dog's mouth in panel four.  What do they think he is doing?  What is the first letter in that word by his mouth?  If needed, tell them that it is a "p" and makes the /p/ sound.  Can they guess what word it is?  Proceed to the second and third sounds, if needed.  Repeat for the word "spin" in the next panel.  Making thoughtful guesses based on context cues is an important reading strategy!

First Grade: Our speech bubbles provide a bit more challenge for early readers.  While most of the dialog is comprised of common sight words or easy to decode text, there are some trickier words in there.  Words like "dinosaur" and "curiosity" may not be typical grade level decodable words, but students will soon learn them as they'll be repeated throughout the adventure.  Try this: project the comic on your white board.  Have students indicate the words within the speech bubbles that are easy to read and cross them off.  Next circle the remaining words.  What strategies can they use to figure them out?  Write each of these words on an index card and place a small picture cue next to it.  Finally, erase all your marks and read through the panels together.  Reference the tricky word cards you created as necessary.  
Second Grade: For many second graders, much of the comic will be easy to read but the texts boxes are most likely to be at their instructional level.  Form mixed ability teams to read the various parts.  One group can read Curiosity Cat's speech bubbles.  Another will read Data Dog's thoughts and words.  A third group will act as narrator reading the text boxes.  Everyone can join in on the sound effects!  These mixed ability choral reading groups can even take on a bit of a reader's theater feel with each group working on expressive reading.  

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    Meet Beth and Curtis!

    Presidential Award-Winning teacher and hula hoop fanatic, Beth loves bringing real world science to kids! Beth is fascinated by engineering challenges, technology, and outdoor learning spaces. After 25 years teaching kindergarten, she’s excited to share her passion and experience on-line with classrooms from around the world!

    Curtis is a lot of things: a scientist, lawyer, explorer, drummer and Ironman. His brain is always churning. His paleontological finds are in museums across the country and he even has an extinct sea turtle named after him. He loves traveling the world and immersing himself in new environments and cultures. Curtis finds joy in sparking the imagination of young learners and making them think in new ways.

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